Bottle cap



Nv. 12, 1935. G. A. Bu'r'rRl-:ss 2,020720 BOTTLE GAP Filed June 6, 1934 Jamna In ven a 7'.

GeoryeA. 2311217883 w Au'y.

Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CAP Application June 6, 1934, Serial No. 729,237

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure for milk bottles and the like and more particularly pertains to a cap for sealing the rim of a bottle mouth of the Character set forth in my co-pending application for Letters Patent Serial Number 700,050, filed November 28, 1933, and also in my co-pending application for Letters Patent Serial Number 709,803 filed February 5, 1934.

An object of the invention is to provide a cap for covering the discharged end of a bottle in such manner as to protect the rim thereof against exposure during handling and transportation of the filled bottles, and thereby prevent pollution of the rim of the bottle mouth so as to avoid possibility of contamination of the liquid content of the bottle on pouring such liquid over the rim.

Another object is to provide a bottle cap? which is formed of sheet fibrous material and is substantially flat before application to a bottle, and which is Aso formed that when positioned over the mouth of the bottle -with the marginal portion of the cap protruding from the rim thereof such marginal portion may be readily bent downwardly around the bottle rim and be gathered into a series of radially extending folds or webs and in a manner which will permit of the side portions of the individual folds being connected together.

Another object is to provide a construction in the sheet material of the cap for effecting interconnection between the side portions of the individual folds in a fashion such that during application of the cap and effecting connection of the side portion of the folds the cap will be drawn tightly into contact with the neck of the bottle.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the connection between the side portions of the folds is so formed that on removing the cap from a bottle the connection will be mutilated or altered in such manner as to afford a means of detecting unauthorized removal of the cap, so as to minimie the possibility of the contents of the bottle being tampered with without detection.

A further object is to provide a bottle cap of the above Character in which the attachment of the bottle cap to a bottle is effected without the use ofmetallic fa'steners and also without the use of cement or other adhesives.

Withthe foregoing' objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example in the acoompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top View of the cap as initially formed from a Asheet of fibrous material, such as paper;

Fig. 2 is a detail in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 as seen in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the li cap as applied to a bottle;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the cap depicted in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 are fragmentary Sections of the 10 cap at line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the successive steps of folding the pleat securing means on application of the cap to the bottle.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the cap showing one pleat as it is after application to a bottle.

Referring to the drawing more specifically, A indicates generally a fiexible sheet of fibrous material which is initially disk shaped and is preferably substantially circular in outline, being here shown as formed with a series of equally spaced 20 V-shaped notches |0 throughout its margin.

The sheet A is preferably formed of paper or pulp board of the Character ordinarily used in milk bottle caps or closures, and is treated with parafiine or other suitable material whereby it is 25 rendered water resistant. The sheet is normally flat and is designed to be foldeddownwardly to extend around and over the rim of a bottle and to overlap the neck portion of the latter, and is preferably formed with an arrangement of fold 30 lines to facilitate its application to a bottle by bending the marginal portion of the sheet over the rim of the bottle mouth, then extending such marginal portion of the sheet alongside the neck of the bottle, that is around a substantially cylindrical body, and at the same time form a series of folds or webs extending radially from the cap thus formed.

As here shown the sheet is formed with a circular fold line ll disposed concentrically of the sheet and having a diameter substantially corresponding to the outside diameter of the bottle rim, and extending radially from the circular fold line is a series of fold lines |2 here shown as spaced degrees apart and leading from the circular fold line l to the apex of the V notohes li). Leading inwardly from the margin of the sheet on opposite sides of the radial fold lines |2 'in inwardly inclined or diagonal relation to the latter, are short, straight fold lines |4 and 15, and leading from the-inner ends of the fold lines IA and |5 are arcuate fo-ld lines |6 and I'l which curve inwardly towards the fold lines l2 and terminate adjacent the inner ends of the latter contiguous the circular fold line ll.

The several fold lines are formed by either scoring or crimping the sheet and may be formed either during the course of applying the cap to a bottle by a mechanism employed for that purpose, or, may be formed previous thereto, as when initially constructing the sheet by forming it with punches and dies.

The area a encircled by the fold line 111 is designed to extend over the bottle mouth while the areas b, and the continuing areas c, extending between the adjacent fold lines 16--1'1 and l! 15 are designed to be extended downwardly over the rim of the bottle and around a contiguous portion of the cylindrical bottle neck B, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, and the areas d and e extending between the radial fold lines 12 and the fold lines 14-16 and 15-11 respectively are 'designed to be folded to extend close together when Vthe cap is applied to the bottle and when thus folded will provide a series of radially extending webs 18, as particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in which views the areas d and e are shown as brought into intimate contact with each other.

While any suitable number of such webs mayV be formed on the bottle cap it has been found in practice that a series of e'ight of such webs spaced 45 degrees apart is sufiicient and highly satisfactory, but it will be understood, however,

that the number of webs may be increased or diminished as occasion may require.

An important feature of the. present invention resides in a construction whereby the contiguous side areas d and e of the webs may be securely connected together without the use of metallic fasteners or adhesives, and in a manner whereby in effecting connectionbetween the side portions of the webs the cap will be drawn taut around the neck of the bottle and securely o tongue 2B, which tongue leads from the fold line .It toward the opening 19 and has its outer end terminating a short distance from the latter, as particularly shown in Fig. 2. The tongue thus initially formed normally projects parallel with the plane of the sheet but is designed to be bent rearwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 6, and to be brought through an opening iii on the opposite side of a web 18, as

shown in Fig. '7, and to have its outer end brought back through the overlying areas d and e of the web E8, as shown in Fig. 5.

In thus connecting the tongue ZE! with the side members of the web such side members are punci tured by a suitable tool immediately before diuoutwardly as'indicated at g and h to a point a little more than mld-way of the length of the tongue and the outer end portion of the tongue having its sides oonverging as indicated at z' and y' and terminatingin a blunt rounded end. By thus ,forrning the tongue and forming the slot El of a length slightly less than the width of the tongue at its widest point and then bending the tongue transversely as it is forced through the slot 21 the enlarged end portion of the tongue in protruding through 'the web 18 will act as a lock to tie the side members of the web together and will offer considerable resistance to withdrawing the tongue out of engagement with the web.

The base of the tongue being formedon the score line 14 and being comparatively narrow will be weakened to such extent that on prying the margins of the cap away from the bottle neck, as when removing the cap, the tongue will tear along the score line 14 before it can be withdrawn from the slot 2i, thusdetaching the tongue and mutilating the cap in a fashion which will insure against its being reapplied to the bottle without i a gnoticeable disfiguration.

In the application and operation of the invention the sheets A are designed to be arranged in a Stack within a magazine and tov be ejected therefrom and delivered to the tops of bottles to which they are to be afiixed.

After the cap or sheet has been applied to the bottle top with the marginal portion of the cap protruding from the rim or mouth of the bottle such marginal portion is forced downwardly to its position around the neck of the bottle by a suitable folding mechanism not necessary to be here shown, but which obviously involves means for bending the sheet along its fold lines. Coincident with the folding operation the Vtongues 20 are bent rearwardly and passed through the openings 19 and through the slots 21 in the fashion shown in Figs. 6, 'land 8 and which operations are accomplished by a suitable mechanism adapted to effect connection of all the tongues 20 with the webs E8 simultaneously, 'so that the operation Vof threading the tongues through the webs will act to draw the marginal portion of the cap into intimate contact with the outer periphery'of thel bottle neok thus securely fastening the cap in place.

As before stated 'to effect removal of the capl the latter is pried from the bottle by inserting a suitable tool between the lower marginal portion of the cap and the bottle neck and rupturing one or more of the tongues 20, whereupon the cap by reason of its fiexibility may be readily removed. from the bottle.

' I claim: i v

1. A bottle cap comprising a blank consisting of a sheet of fibrous material having a series of radial fold lines extending inwardly from the margin of the sheet, diagonal fold lines extending inwardly from the margin of the sheet on opposite sides of the radial fold lines having their inner ends terminating in spaced relation to the inner ends of the radial fold lines, and curved fold lines extending between the inner ends of said diagonal fold lines to the inner ends of the radial fold lines, said sheet being formed with openings adjacent the margin thereof disposed contiguous alternate diagonal fold lines, and tongues struck from said sheet extending from adjacent the other diagonal fold lines adapted to be passed through said openings Von folding the sheet along said fold lines.

2.V A bottle cap embodying a top wall and a flexible annular side wall formed of fiberous material, said annular side wall having' a series of outwardly projecting webs including side walls extending adjacent each other, said annular side wall being formed with openings adj acent one side wall of each Web, tongues struck from said annular side 'wall normally extending away from the other side wall of each web, said tongues being bent rearwardly and extended over the bases of said webs and through said openings and having their outer ends threaded through the adjacent side walls of the webs.

3. A bottle cap comprising a top Wall and an annular side Wall formed in continuation thereof, said walls being formed of sheet fibrous material, a series of spaced radially and outwardly projecting webs on said annular side wall including side Wallsiextending adjacent each other, and tongues struck from said annular side wall extending through and interconnecting the side walls of said webs.

4. A bottle. cap comprising a top wall and an annular side Wall formed in continuation thereof, said walls being formed of sheet fibrous material, a series of spaced radialh7 and outwardly projecting webs on said annular side wall includingside Walls extending adjacent each other, and tongues struck from said annular side Wall; said webs being formed With registering slots leading through the side walls thereof and said tongues being extended through said slots and interconnecting the side walls of the webs.

5. A bottle cap comprising a top wall and an annular side wall formed in continuation thereof, said Walls being formed of sheet' fibrous material, a series of spaced radially and outwardly projecting webs on said annular side wall including side Walls extending adjacent each other, and

` tongues struck from said annular side wall; said webs being formed With registering slots leading through the side walls thereof, and said tongues being extended through said slots and interconnecting the side Walls of the webs; said tongues having intermediate portions of a width exceeding the lengths of said slots adapted When the tongues are passed through said slots t-o project beyond the ends of the slots to resist Withdrawing of said tongues.

6. A bottle cap comprising a top Wall and an annular side Wall formed in continuation thereof, said walls being formed of sheet fibrous material, a series of spaced radially and outwardly projecting webs on said annular side wall including side Walls extending adjacent each other, and tongues struck from said annular side wall; said webs being formed with registering slots leading through the side walls thereof, and said tongues being extended through said slots and interconnecting the side walls of the webs, said tongues being formed with intermediate portions of a width exceeding the lengths of said slots adapted when the tongues are passed through said slots to extend over the ends of the slots to resist withdrawing of said tongues; said tongues being weakened at the intersection with the annular side Wall to facilitate their detachment therefrom.

'1. In a bottle cap having a side wall, a series of ra-dially and outwardly projecting webs on said side wall including Walls extending adjacent each other, tongues formed on said cap leading across the inner margins of the walls of said webs, and means engaging the ends of said tongues to hold said webs against spreading.

8. In a bottle cap having a side wall, a series of spaced ra'dially and outwardly projecting webs on said wall including said walls extending adjacent each other, and tongues formed on said cap leading across the inner margins of said webs and extending through and interconnecting the side walls of said webs.

9. In a bottle cap having a side wall, a series of spaced radially and outwardly projecting webs on said wall including side walls extending adjacent each other, tongues overlying the inner margins of said webs bent to fasten the inner margins of the side Walls of the webs together; said webs being formed with registering slots leading through the side Walls thereof to receive said tongues.

10. In a bottle cap having a side wall, a series of spaced radially and outwardly projecting webs on said wall including side walls extending adjacent each other, tongues overlying the inner margins of said webs bent to fasten the inner margins of the side Walls of the webs together; said webs being formed With registering slots leading through the side walls thereof, said tongues being extended through said slots and interconnecting the side walls of the webs, and said tongues having portions projecting through said slots exceeding the lengths of said slots to resist withdrawing of said tongues.

GEORGE A. BUTTRESS. 

